Volkswagen Tiguan GTE electric hybrid concept unveiled in America

Volkswagen has unveiled an electric hybrid concept car based on the Tiguan SUV at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS). This will be a second-generation Tiguan and will be based on the MQB platform.

The GTE Active concept gets a 148bhp turbocharged petrol engine combined with four hub motors fitted on individual wheels. The engine is capable of powering the front wheels only through a six-speed DSG gearbox while the rear wheels are powered by motors only. In full electric mode, the front wheels can also be powered by the hub motors.

The four-wheel-drive GTE gets a whole bunch of driving modes that include surfaces like rocks, sludge, gravel and snow along with the Sport, Charge and Battery hold modes. The engine power can be alternatively used for driving or charging batteries as per the modes selected and road conditions detected by the car.

The Tiguan GTE has been built to be an effective off-roader and not just another electric car with more ground clearance, and steeper approach/departure angles, skid plates and tow hooks. The interiors are plush with body-coloured highlights on the shades of grey. It gets a 9.2-inch LCD display screen for in-car infotainment replete with Apple Carplay and Android Auto.

The Tiguan GTE active concept is an attempt by Volkswagen to be part of the growing SUV market in the US with a motive to put Diesel-gate behind it. The cleaner petrol-hybrid powertrain with the utilitarian yet plush design should be able to woo American customers.